International
Tropical
Marine
Ecosystems
Management
Symposium

What is ICRI?

The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) is a partnership among governments, international organisations, and NGOs. It strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems by implementing Chapter 17 of Agenda 21, and other relevant international conventions and agreements. The ICRI was announced at the First Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity in December 1994, and at the high level segment of the Inter-sessional Meeting of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development in April 1995.

In mid-1995, an international ICRI workshop was held at Dumaguete City, the Philippines. The workshop provided a forum for governments, donors and funding agencies, development organisations, NGOs, the research community and the private sector to work together in order to develop a consensus framework for achieving sustainable management of coral reef ecosystems. Workshop participants endorsed a "Call to Action", which advocates international recognition that coral reefs are in serious decline globally due primarily to human activities, and a "Framework for Action".

ICRI was established in order to halt and reverse the global degradation of coral reefs and associated ecosystems. The ICRI partnership mobilises governments and a wide range of other stakeholders in an effort to improve management practices, increase capacity and political support, and share information on the health of these ecosystems.

What is ITMEMS?

ITMEMS is the core activity of ICRI. Convened previously in Australia (1998), the Philippines (2003) and Mexico (2006), ITMEMS strengthens the capacities of coastal and marine managers and their partners to conserve and promote the sustainable use of coral reefs and related ecosystems.

Focused on practical issues relating to management and conceived to support implementation of the ICRI Framework for Action, ITMEMS provides an important opportunity for people working to conserve tropical marine ecosystems to come together with their peers and partners to:

• Share experiences and lessons learned;
• Identify effective local solutions to common management problems;
• Debate gaps and priorities for future action to manage tropical marine ecosystems;
• Evaluate progress since prior ITMEMS; and
• Strengthen and expand the network of tropical marine managers.

Experience informs policy

The International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium (ITMEMS) is a major activity of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). ITMEMS facilitates productive discussion and information sharing by people involved in management of coral reefs and related ecosystems, and the implementation of the ICRI Framework for Action. Lessons and experience in coral reef management demonstrate the need to work increasingly with local communities and their partners to develop effective strategies and solutions, negotiate trade-offs, and shape and realise national and local policies. ITMEMS thus represents the most important forum for ensuring that the hands-on, day-to-day concerns of marine and coastal managers reach and inform the global agenda.